December Book

The December Book: Countdown, Day Nine

My internet is an arse today, so this might not be updated as regularly as usual. I’ll keep writing, and post when I can. I was up about 07:30 today. Had a text from Eva’s teachers on her school trip, to tell me the kids were dragged out of their tents this morning and forced to do yoga at sunrise. I was very pleased. That’s exactly the kind of random sadism I’m paying good money for her to experience.

Today I’m starting with an execution, another big scene in the novel. Having never been to a public hanging before, I’m a bit worried that all I have to fall back on are cliched images fed to me by Hollywood. We’ll see what happens.

The December Book is currently 91,069 words long. Scriv reckons that if I write 4465 words today then I’ll be on track to meet 100,000 words by the end of tomorrow. Better get on with it then.

10:15 – 11:15. 1080 words. The execution is going as well as an execution can be expected to. Make of that what you will.

11:45 – 12:15. 607 words (1687 total). And so a man swung, and the execution scene is complete. I’ll take a quick break there, as it’s a perfect moment to step back even though I’ve only been at it for half an hour. I won’t be long though, not yet. I want to get the next chapter, a different sort of farewell to one of the other principal characters, up and running while I’m buzzing from that last bit.

I did a bit more reading when I got back, and made a few notes to myself of things I need to account for to make the book complete. I think I’m four and a half chapters away from finishing. That is, and you’ll just have to take my word for it, insanely exciting.

12:55 – 13:30. 644 words (2331 total). Another quick blast of words, and I’ve realised I’ve forgotten to eat again. I’m hoping to go for a run later today, so I should fix that.

There are men erecting a scaffold right up to the window of my study. I do not like that. I do not like that at all. It can only mean that they have disruptive intentions.

14:30 – 15:30. 1087 words (3418 total). One of only two chapters in the whole book that does not take place in Edinburgh, although I’m not showing much of Dumfries outside of a jail cell. Still, a bit of travel broadens the mind.

For the first time, I have a possible alternate title for this novel. It’s been called The Flesh Market for a long time, but now I’m considering either The Revenant Man or The Revenant Men. I’ll see what feels best when I reread the whole thing over the weekend.

15:40 – 16:20. 679 words (4097 total). That chapter done. I’m going to take an hour or two now, and go for a run. When I’m back, I’ll sit down and finish off the day’s quota by opening another chapter.

Went running for an hour, then cooled down, showered, and so on. Felt a bit better than yesterday’s slog. Sounds like I’m still talking about the book. Running and writing have an awful lot in common, when it comes down to it.

18:50 – 19:15. 458 words (4555 total). That’s a wrap for the day. This chapter is about to get insanely chaotic. The build up is out of the way, so I can launch straight into flesh tearing insanity tomorrow morning.

Today I added 4555 words to The December Book, bringing the total word count up to 95,624 words. I’ll certainly make 100,000 words tomorrow, especially now I now what these last three chapters are and who is in them. I’m not promising myself anything, but there’s a chance I’ll finish tomorrow. Just a chance, if I start early and push hard, but I’ll take it…